Wall construction

ABSTRACT

A WALL CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF ERECTION THEREOF WHICH UTILIZES SPACED PARALLEL Z-BARS AFFIXED TRANSVERSELY OF PARALLEL BUCKSTAYS AND INCLUDES POSITIONING INSULATION PANELS IN SINGLE OR DOUBLE LAYERS BETWEEN THE Z-BARS WHERE THEY ARE RETAINED BY SPECIAL CLIP MEANS ATTACHED TO ONE OF THE Z-BARS AND INSULATION PANELS. FACING MAY BE APPLIED ACROSS THE WALL CONSTRUCTION FOR ADDITIONAL RIGIDITY

Feb. 9, 1971 c. K. KEENER WALL CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20, 1969 IN VENTOR.

Char/es K. Keener Fig. 5

BY 4/, mmm zm H/S ATTORNEYS Feb. 9, 1971 c. K. KEENER 3,561,183

WALL CONSTRUCTION I Filed Feb. 20, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 alawi mum I! m Fig. 10

INVENTOR. Char/es K Keener H/S ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,561,183 WALL CONSTRUCTION Charles K. Keener, Mars, Pa., assignor to Hinchliife & Keener, Pittsburgh, Pa., 21 Pennsylvania partnership Filed Feb. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 800,864 Int. Cl. E04!) 2/02, 2/72 US. Cl. 52488 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a wall construction and particularly to a wall made from a plurality of panels mounted on a Z-bar frame. The method of erecting the wall is also a part of the invention.

Although Z-bars or angles have been used as frame components for building walls and ducts, it has not been appreciated heretofore that they can form an integral part of such a construction, especially where it is desired to build a high temperature heat transfer barrier. In the past, such barriers or insulation walls for high temperature furnaces, boilers, ducts, etc. have been constructed by physically attaching, as by welding, studs, welding pins or bolts, insulating materials to metal frame members. Not only is this prior method cumbersome in that it requires individual location and securing of st-uds or welding pins, thus increasing the expense, but also the finished construction is marked by such fasteners which protrude from the frame and interfere with finishing off the face of the insulation panel for decorative and architectural purposes and weather protection.

Among the prior methods of building insulation walls, the most frequently employed comprised installing insulation against plates or road mesh impaled over studs or pins which were welded to these permanent metal framings. A disadvantage common to all of the various methods presently used is that there is considerable heat transfer through the fastening means which the construction is supposed to prevent. This problem is particularly acute in high temperature conditions such as the boiler ducts, where temperatures approach 1000 F. My insulation wall construction meets these service requirements and additionally, the installation of it is less diflicult, requires less time and fewer materials to erect and is, therefore, less expensive than present wall constructions. Moreover, my wall includes a feature which makes it especially attractive to contractors: large sections of it can be erected in substantially assembly-line fashion and any section of it can be eliminated to accommodate electrical, plumbing or other service junction boxes, beams, or other permanent fixtures; or it may be placed across such service connections and single sections removed at will for maintenance and repair of the otherwise covered boxes without having to take down an entire wall.

Hereinafter, I have disclosed preferred embodiments of my wall construction: one which includes a single thickness of insulation, that is, the depth of the insulation is substantially that of a single commercial 'pre-molded insulation panel suitable for temperatures up to about 400 F.; and another which comprises a double thickness of insulation and including at least two panels disposed face-to-face but not necessarily of the same thickness.

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The former embodiment is referred to in this specification as a single or one layer wall; the plural insulation panel arrangement is called a two layer wall. The two layer wall is particularly suitable for use where temperatures to be encountered approach 1000 F. It should be understood that the temperatures given are examples only, since the heat transfer or barrier capacity depends on a number of factors including the type of insulation material used, its surface finish, density, the heat source to which it is exposed, and the like.

Briefly, my invention is a wall construction comprising at least two spaced parallel buckstay members across which are secured at least one pair of Z-bars. The Z-bars are also spaced from one another. An insulation panel is mounted between the Z-bars and against the buckstays. The bottom edge of the panel rests on the central portion of the lower Z-bar and behind the upstanding portion of it. The top edge of the panel fits under the central portion of the upper Z-bar. A clip means attached to the upper Z-bar depends across the face of the panel and retains it in position between the Zbars.

In another embodiment of the invention, a second insulation panel is mounted adjacent a panel thus positioned between two Z-bars and against buckstays. Clip means, such as h-clips, are secured to the Z-bars and a second panel is mounted on the h-clips.

A complete understanding of the present invention will be obtained from the following description together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a Zbar secured to a stiffener or buckstay;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line IIIIII of FIG. 1 and showing an angle piece which may be placed on a Z-bar;

FIG. 4 is a sectional vie-w similar to FIG. 1 and including an insulation panel and clip means;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 and including a cover;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section on line VIII-VIII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 and including a second insulation layer secured with clip means and a cover;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a section on line XI-XI of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a Z-bar;

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of one type of clip means used in a single layer wall;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of another type of clip means used in a two layer wall;

FIG. 15 shows a Z-bar secured to a buckstay shown as I-beam; and

FIG. 16 shows a Z-bar secured to a buckstay shown as Hbeam.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, my wall construction comprises a pair of spaced buckstays 10. Each buckstay 10 includes a U-shaped channel 10a, the legs of which terminate in outwardly extending flanges 10b. A longitudinally extending Z-bar 11 (see FIG. 12) extends across the buckstays and is secured to the flanges of buckstays, as by welding. Each Z-bar has a central portion 11a from which extend oppositely directly leg portions 11b and 11c. The leg p0rtions 11b and are joined to the central portion at substantially right angles and are substantially parallel to each other. The depending leg portion 11c is secured to the Z-bar flanges. The length of the central portion of the Z-bar thus defines a space between the leg portion 11b and the flange 10b. This space is substantially the width of a thickness of a panel 12 of insulation material (FIG. 4) adapted to be vertically disposed therein. As shown in FIG. 3, an angle strip 13 may be extended positioned on the central portion 11a of the Z bar with one leg 13a of the strip abutting the flange b of the channel. The strip 13 permits the use of any length of insulation panel 12 as where, for example, buckstays are spaced farther apart than the width of a preformed insulation panel. The strip prevents the panel from slipping or falling through the back of the frame formed by the Z-bars and buckstays. Of course, angle strip 13 may also be used to reinforce an insulation panel even where adjacent buckstays are sutficiently close to directly back-up and support a single insulation panel.

A series of such panels 12 are placed end-to-end along a Z-bar 11 against a pair of buckstays 10. Clip means, such as clips 14 (see FIG. 13), shown in front of the panels 12, removeably secure the insulation in position.

Each clip 14 comprises a single metal piece, preferably of ductile metal such as aluminum, bent upon itself at one end to form a hook portion 14a and an extending flat portion 14b. After an insulation panel has been positioned on a lower Z-bar against the buckstays and below the upper Z-bar, a clip 14 is hooked over a leg 11b of the upper Z-bar. The flat portion 14b is of suificient length that it extends across a part of the face of the panel, with the flat portion 14b abutting a part of the panel along its upper edge to hold the panel in position.

In FIGS. 48, is shown a single layer wall construction, according to my invention. A pair of elongated Z-bars 11 are positioned horizontally across two spaced buckstays 10 in the manner earlier described. The Z-bars are secured parallel to one another and spaced from one another a distance sufficient to accommodate a prefabricated insulation panel 12 therebetween. This distance is slightly greater than the size of a panel 12 such that when the bottom edge of a single layer panel is placed on the central portion 11a of a lower Z-bar or on strip 13 behind an upstanding leg portion 11b, the panel substantially fills the space between the upper and lower Z-bars. The panel is maintained in place between the Z-bars by clips 14 placed along the upper Z-bar, as shown. When the clip is in place over a Z-bar, the flat portion 14b holds the panel in substantial alignment between the Z bars. A series of such clips placed along a single insulation panel 12 prevent the panel from falling out from between the Z-bars. If desired, a cover or facing member 15, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, may be secured across the front of the panel to cover the insulation panel to give the wall a completely finished and/or decorative appearance.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that my wall can be quickly, efiiciently and inexpensively constructed. Once a pair of Z-bars 11 are positioned properly, a plurality of insulation panels 12 may be placed end-to-end between them along any length Z-bar. Spaces may be left between panels for service junction boxes and the like as needed. The clips 14 may be left on the Z-bars even if facing is used or may be salvaged for reuse as the facing is put up, since the facing will maintain the insulation in proper position.

FIGS. 9-11 show my two layer wall construction which comprises a second insulation panel 12a being positioned face-to-face with a panel 12 of the wall construction described with reference to FIGS. 1-8. The two layer wall is constructed by first erecting a single layer wall including a pair of parallel horizontal Z-bars 11 attached as by spot welding them to a pair of vertically disposed, spaced parallel buckstays 10. An insulation panel 12 is placed between the Z-bars. The panels may be retained therebetween, and against the buckstays and a strip 13 by clips 14; however, the clips 14 need not be used since the panel 121: will perform their function.

Referring particularly to FIG. 11, a pair of h-clips 16 (see FIG. 14) are then placed as shown. Each h-clip includes a pair of downwardly extending legs 16a, 16b, a central fiat portion 160 and an upwardly extending leg portion 16d. The h-clips are so dimensioned that when they are positioned on Z-bars 11, upwardly extending leg 16d and positioned downwardly extending leg 16b are positioned from the face of a panel 12 a distance sufiicient to provide a space approximating the width of a second insulation panel 12a. The h-clips are positioned with a leg 16a of the h-clip extending over and behind the upstanding leg 11a of the Z-bar and against the face of insulation panel 12. After at least a pair of h-clips 16 are so placed, one on each of two spaced Z-bars, the second insulation panel 12a is positioned between them in the manner particularly shown in FIG. 11. A series of such h-clips 16 placed across each of two adjacent spaced Z-bars secure a panel 12a therebetween and form a good thermal insulation barrier. Facing, such as cover 15, may also be secured across the second insulation layer 12a to architecturally finish the wall construction.

A two layer construction is particularly useful where high temperatures are encountered, such as those reaching approximately 1000 F. The insulation panels used are generally rectangular and their thickness dimension small relative to their width and length; they may be prefabricated to dimension and appropriately selected for optimum heat transfer characteristics.

Any preformed insulation material which will meet the temperature requirements is useful in my wall construction. It should be noted, however, that nearly all commercial panel insulations are susceptible to breaking off or crumbling along an edge. Such panel edges usually cannot be mitered without damage; even if mitered, the edges of such a panel are liable to breakage in installation and use. Hence, my use of Z-bars and angle strips having nearly right angle corners to fir insulation panels having substantially complementary edges is of particular significance.

In describing my invention, I have demonstrated my wall construction as a planar wall. Those in the art will recognize the principles of the invention sufficiently to apply it to corner joints formed by intersecting walls, to sloping walls, and to walls of modified curvature or undulation.

Also, those in the art will appreciate that the term buckstay not only includes a channel member such as shown in FIG. 1, but also members such as an I-beam (FIG. 15), an H-beam (FIG. 16), angles or channels. The Z-bar may be secured to the buckstays in any suitable manner such as by bolts, rivets, welds or the like.

I claim:

1. A wall construction comprising:

(a) at least a pair of spaced substantially parallel buckstay members;

(b) at least a pair of Z-bars transversely positioned across said members and spaced from one another a distance sufficient to support an insulation panel therebetween;

(c) at least one insulation panel positioned between the Z-bars and against the buckstay members;

(d) said insulation panel being supported along an edge by one of said Z-bars such that an opposite edge is beneath the next adjacent Z-bar; and

(e) clip means comprising at least one clip having a hook portion and a substantially flat elongated portion, the elongated portion of such clip being of a length such that when the clip is hooked over said adjacent Z-bar the elongated portion extends along a face of the panel to retain said panel in position to form the wall construction.

2. A wall construction comprising:

(a) at least a pair of spaced substantially parallel buckstay members;

(b) at least a pair of Z-bars transversely positioned across said members and spaced from one another a distance sufiicient to support an insulation panel therebetween;

(c) at least one insulation panel positioned between the Z-bars and against the buckstay members;

(d) said insulation panel being supported along an edge by one of said Z-bars such that an opposite edge is beneath the next adjacent Z-bar;

(e) clip means secured to said next adjacent Z-bar and extending therefrom to contact a portion of said panel to retain said panel in position; and

(if) an angle strip positioned between a lower edge of an insulation panel and a Z-bar, one leg of said angle extending upwardly behind said panel to prevent the panel from passing between adjacent buckstay members, the length of the strip being at least as great as the distance between such buckstay members.

3. A wall construction comprising:

(a) at least a pair of spaced substantially parallel buckstay members;

(b) at least a pair of Z-bars transversely positioned across said members and spaced from one another a distance suflicient to support an insulation panel therebetween;

(c) at least one insulation panel positioned between the Z-bars and against the buckstay members;

(d) said insulation panel being supported along an edge by one of said Z-bars such that an opposite edge is beneath the next adjacent Z-bar;

(e) clip means secured to each of said Z-bars and extending outwardly therefrom to support therebetween a second insulation panel; and

(f) a. second insulation panel disposed between a pair of clips forming said clip means and being supported by one of said clips and retained in position opposite the first insulation panel.

4. A wall construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein the clip means comprises at least a pair of h-clips, one of said clips being secured to a Z-bar and the other clip being secured to the next adjacent Z-bar and being opposed to the first clip, the second insulation panel being supported between said h-clips and against said insulation panel.

5. A wall construction as set forth in claim 3 in which the first and second insulation panels are of substantially the same thickness.

6. A wall construction as set forth in claim 3 in which one of the first and second insulation panels is of greater thickness than the other panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,820 7/ 1896 Cantwell 52479 2,229,535 1/1941 Weber et al. 52479 2,744,589 5/1956 Jenkins et al. 52404 2,847,099 8/1958 Gruber 52404X 2,912,724 11/1959 Wilkes 52479X 3,427,775 2/ 1969 Backrich 52404X ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

